A monument in Flensburg?
A monument would be an important symbol of remembrance of Flensburg’s colonial history and of its responsibility for the aftermath of the exploitation of people and nature in the Caribbean. That is why we, as the Flensburg Postcolonial Network, exhibited posters of 15 monuments from 11 European cities at the harbor promenade from summer 2025 until beginning of 2026. We are presenting this small gallery of monuments to colonial history permanently on our website. We have also linked more information about most of the monuments – just click on the info texts – and even extended the gallery a bit.
Flensburg’s urban history and structure are closely intertwined with the colonial plantation economy in the Caribbean. Flensburg’s merchants, shipowners, captains, and the entire city benefited from access to the Danish colonies in the 18th and 19th centuries and thus indirectly from the slave trade and the dehumanization and unpaid forced labor of Black people.
For several years now, Flensburg’s citizens and cultural and educational institutions have been campaigning for remembrance and engagement with this part of the city’s history. A memorial at the edge of the harbor would be an important symbol of remembrance of this part of the city’s history and of responsibility for the aftermath of the exploitation of people and nature in the Caribbean.
In the Flensburg 2030+ mission statement, the city parliament decided after an extensive participatory process:
Flensburg acknowledges its history and assumes global responsibility: Development and implementation of concepts for addressing the colonial history of the city of Flensburg.
Within this context, the city of Flensburg wants to erect a monument commemorating colonialism at the harbor promenade and has launched an ideas competition called “Flensburg MEMORIAL to the colonial past.” Proposals can be submitted until April 30, 2026. Information and details of the competition can be found here.
The gallery of monuments to colonial history on display here shows 16 examples that have been realized in European cities. In this way, the Flensburg Postcolonial Network supports the idea of creating a memorial site in Flensburg dedicated to the intertwining of Caribbean history and the present. The harbor promenade, as the hub of the so-called “West India trade,” would be the ideal location.
